Fluid dispenser



C- F. BATEMAN FLUID DISPENSER Oct. 1 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July3, 1965 INVENTOR COaIes FBatemam ATTORNEYS United States Patent M3,211,333 FLUID DISPENSER Coates F. Bateman, Salisbury, Md., assignor toSymington Wayne Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Filed July 3,1963, Ser. No. 292,672 2 Claims. (Cl. 22230) This invention relates tofluid dispenser-s and more particularly to fluid dispensersincorporating ticket printing mechanisms.

All known gasoline dispensers utilize large indicating drums to give thecustomer a visual indication of the amount of gasoline dispensed. Thesedrums are not only considered a necessity but the trend has been to makethe drums bigger and bigger. In some such dispensers ticket printingmechanisms have been included as an auxiliary indicator. The cost ofthese dispensers, however, has been so prohibitive that they areconsidered only a luxury and have very little commercial acceptance.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive ticket printer fluid dispenser.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a dispenser whichis relatively compact and attractive.

In accordance with this invention a ticket printer and a presetmechanism are substituted for the customary large indicating drums. Theelimination of these large indicating drums is such a radical departurefrom existing gasoline merchandising methods that the elimination hasheretofore never been considered. This unique realization that the largedrums can be eliminated enables for the first time a ticket printinggasoline dispenser to be commercially practical. Since these largeindicating drums are the most costly part of conventional dispensers,their elimination substantially pays for the cost of adding both theticket printer and the preset mechanism. Further with these 'bulky drumseliminated, the resultant dispenser is more compact having a low andattractive silhouette. In an advantageous form of the invention, thecomputing components occupy substantially the entire interior of thehousing head. A unit price indicator may be on the housing while zeroindicator means may be part of the computer components.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings whereinsimilar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dispenser housing of an embodiment ofthis invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the head of the housing shown in FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the head of the housing shown inFIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a housing head of another embodimentof this invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of a housing head of a furtherembodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a housing head of another embodimentof this invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid dispensing components of dispenser 10include a conventional meter 16 connected to a source of fluid 18 in the"base 20' of dispenser housing 26. Fluid flows through meter 16 and isdispensed from hose and nozzle 22. The computing components are arrangedin housing 26 above the dispensing components. Variator 24 isoperatively connected to meter 16 and computes the cost of the fluid inaccordance with the quantity dispensed. The term variator is used tomean the gearing or computing mechanism of a conventional register withthe large indicating drums removed from the register. Variator 24 is,for example, of the type disclosed 3,211,333 Patented Oct. 12, 1965tomer before the dispensing operation takes place. As

shown in FIG. 1, preset 12 is of the type disclosed in US. LettersPatent 2,665,030, in which the service station attendant manuallyoperates preset 12 by turning knob or dial 30. Preset 12 shown in FIG. 4is of the coin operated type such as disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,-384,585 which includes coin acceptor 13. Printing mechanism 14, forexample, of the type disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,327,584 is alsoconnected to variator 24 and prints the cost and quantity of the sale aswell as other sales information such as unit price. Printing mechanism14 is especially useful for tax purposes and with credit customers sincereceipts are necessary to give to the customer and also to be used bythe service station attendant for bookkeeping purposes. As shown in FIG.1, the various components in housing 26 are disposed closely adjacentthe housing wall to provide a compact dispenser having a relatively lowsilhouette. Where preferred, however, printing mechanism 14 isexternally attached to the housing, as shown for example in US. LettersPatent 2,- 612,428.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, housing head 28 encases printing mechanism 14,preset 12, and variator 24. The printed receipts are ejected from ticketprinter 14 onto tray 32. Head 28 also includes means for storing blanktickets 34 and for storing receipts 36 which are kept by the attendant.As shown in FIG. 1, a series of windows 38 are in head 28 in which theunit price of the gasoline is displayed. The computing components occupysubstantially the entire interior of head 28. The head may, of course,house other elements which are conventional in gasoline dispensers suchas coin acceptor 13 shown in FIG. 4, but does not include theconventional large indicating drums.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, head 28 includes awindow 40 in which a card or flag having a zero printed thereon isflashed when the dispensing operation begins. The card or flag is, forexample, associated with the start handle 41 or variator 24 so that itis displayed as soon as the attendant starts to dispense the gasoline.The provision of such zero indicating means is useful in reassuring thecustomer that he is being charged only for the amount of gasoline hereceives. Such reassurance is also accomplished by the use of a printingmechanism 14 such as that disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,327,584 inwhich the beginning and final totals are printed on the ticket orreceipt. A further safeguard is the inclusion of computer-printerinterlocks such as that disclosed in US. Letters Patent 3,021,982 toprevent printing mechanism 14 from printing incorrect totals. Thecustomer can also check the accuracy of the cost by multiplying thequantity indicated on the printed receipt times the unit price.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, variator 24 includesa set of relatively small indicating drums 42 similar to, butsubstantially smaller than, the conventional large indicating drums.Small drums 42 are incorporated in head 28 without the drawbacksattendant with the large conventional drums. Small drums 42 haveapproximately the same diameter as the wheels 15 in printing mechanism14 and therefore have substantially the same inertia and incrementtransfer. As a result, both indicating means can be synchronized. Sincesmall drums 42 take up relatively little room in head 28, thecompactness and low silhouette of housing 26 is maintained. Small drums42 are useful in reassuring the customer of the accuracy of printer 14or simply as a spot check on the printer. The small indicating drumsadditionally may be necessary to meet the requirements of weights andmeasures regulations in some localities.

What is claimed is:

1. A quantity and cost indicating fluid dispenser comprising a housing;fluid dispensing components upon said housing, said fluid dispensingcomponents including a source of fluid, meter means connected to saidsource of fluid, and dispensing hose and nozzle means connected to saidmeter means; computing components upon said housing, said computingcomponents comprising a variator connected to said meter means, a presetmechanism connected to said variator, and a printing mechanism connectedto said variator for recording the cost and quantity of said fluid; saidprinting mechanism having indicating wheels with indicating digitsinscribed thereon, and said printing indicating wheels being the largestdigit carrying indicating wheels in said dispenser whereby said printingmechanism comprises the principal quantity and cost indicating means ofsaid dispenser.

2. A quantity and cost indicating fluid dispenser comprising a housing;fluid dispensing components upon said housing, said fluid dispensingcomponents including a source of fluid, meter means connected to saidsource of fluid, and dispensing hose and nozzle means connected to saidmeter means; computing components upon said housing, said computingcomponents comprising a variator connected to said meter means, saidvariator having indicating wheels with indicating digits inscribedthereon, a preset mechanism connected to said variator, and a printingmechanism connected to said variator for recording the cost and thequantity of said fluid; said printing mechanism having indicating wheelswith indicating digits inscribed thereon, and said printing wheelshaving substantially the same inertia characteristics as said variatorindicating wheels whereby both of said printing indicating Wheels andsaid variator indicating wheels have substantially the same incrementtransfer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,119 8/32Ohmer et al 222-30 X 2,342,333 2/ 44 Eickmeyer et al 222-30 X 2,554,2965/51 Crews 22230 2,777,555 1/57 Banning 222-30 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A QUANTITY AND COST INDICATING FLUID DISPENSER COMPRISING A HOUSING;FLUID DISPENSING COMPONENTS UPON SAID HOUSING, SAID FLUID DISPENSINGCOMPONENTS INCLUDING A SOURCE OF FLUID, METER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAIDSOURCE OF FLUID, AND DISPENSING HOSE AND NOZZLE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAIDMETER MEANS; COMPUTING COMPONENTS UPON SAID HOUSING, SAID COMPUTINGCOMPONENTS COMPRISING A VARIATOR CONNECTED TO SAID METER MEANS, A PRESETMECHANISM CONNECTED TO SAID VARIATOR, AND A PRINTING MECHANISM CONNECTEDTO SAID VARIATOR FOR RECORDING THE COST AND QUANTITY OF SAID FLUID; SAIDPRINTING MECHANISM HAVING INDICATING WHEELS WITH INDICATING DIGITSINSCRIBED THEREON, AND SAID PRINTING INDICATING WHEELS BEING THE LARGESTDIGIT CARRYING INDICATING WHEELS IN SAID DISPENSER WHEREBY SAID PRINTINGMECHANISM COMPRISES THE PRINCIPAL QUANTITY AND COST INDICATING MEANS OFSAID DISPENSER.